


Ghosting

by whatacatchdummie (orphan_account)



Category: Bandom, Fall Out Boy
Genre: Ghost!AU, andy gets haunted, fobcc, joe is a ghost
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-01
Updated: 2016-11-01
Packaged: 2018-08-28 09:01:59
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,541
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8439544
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/whatacatchdummie
Summary: Andy thinks Pete is playing a prank on him. A month long prank. Andy thinks, that Pete is making him believe his house is haunted. But as the 'prank' continues far after Halloween, Andy isn't so sure anymore.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Made for the Fall Out Boy Creations Challenge (fobcc.tumblr.com) I'm fairly happy with how this came out. I plan on doing more with it, editing and adjusting it, but for now I'm happy. Sorry it's really close to the deadline!!

**October 29th**

  
Andy is certain Pete’s playing a dumb prank on him. That has to be it. Why else, he thinks, would Pete always disappear whenever investigating the matter was mentioned?

  
Patrick shrugs, having been listening to Andy complain about Pete’s big game. “Pete’s probably just scared.”

  
“That’s what he wants you to think!” Andy answers quickly, eyes wide with determination and frustration, before yawning into his hand.

  
Patrick mimics the action after a moment, before his eyes narrow. “Andy, you look really tired. I’m sure this’ll all blow over after Halloween, just- try and get some sleep tonight? Just a few more days of his lame joke and it’ll be over.”

  
Andy groans, but stands up from Patrick’s sofa and reaches for his coat as Patrick continues, “If it really gets bad, you can stay with us for the night.”

  
“No, that’s fine, thanks.” Andy says quickly, trying not to remember the last time he stayed the night with Patrick and Elisa. They were great company, and two of his closest friends, but he did not enjoy hearing said friends’ new child screaming through the night.

  
“Well, goodnight Andy. If Pete gives you a hard time, just call Meagan. She can handle him,” he says with a chuckle. Andy laughs and says goodbye, before heading out of the house and heading down the pavement to his car.

  
It was a short walk, but the air was chilled enough to make his shoulders slope upwards and duck his chin down, trying to block out the icy breeze from reaching him; he shivers anyway. There’s no change in temperature as he opens his front door, greeted by yet another chill running down his spine. _Pete probably opened a window while I was gone._  He scrubbed a hand down his face, before taking off his shoes and neatly resting them on the door mat, removing his coat and setting it on the stair railing. As he searched for an open window, he heard his cell phone ring. Instinctively, he reached into his back pocket, before realizing he had left it in his jacket. He took one more glance into the room— all windows securely closed, just as he had left them— and took down the flight of stairs, bouncing lightly on each step, steps he has traveled numerous times before, surely getting into the double digits in a single day.

  
Which is why he finds it odd as he trips on the very last step, barely keeping himself up as he grabs the railing and—

  
Didn’t he put his shoes on the door mat?

  
Andy stares at the shoes lying precariously on the bottom steps of the stairs. His phone stops ringing and he checks it quickly; it fills the dark hallway with light, and Andy squints as he reads no missed calls.

  
Andy calls Meagan that night at eleven. It goes to voicemail, and he decides not to call again, as it being late (he hadn’t checked the time to begin with), and opts for sending Pete a rather lengthy and rude text.

  
**October 31st**

  
_Sorry, Pete and I were trick or treating with the boys all night -Meagan_

  
Andy read that text over and over in his mind, and out loud to Patrick numerous times.

  
“It’s probably nothing. Besides, tonight’s the last night.”

 

  
**November 1st**

  
It wasn’t the last night.

 

  
Andy rolls over to his back, eyes wide and bloodshot after hearing another noise. It’s not loud, judging by his profession as a drummer, he’s surprised he can even hear the soft tap of his window, but he does and it’s three in the morning and he is so tired he’s awake. He gets out of bed, his feet freezing as they touch the chilly floor, and he heads to his window. It’s completely clear— The lights in the neighborhood are out, and they remind him that he should be asleep, that he has all tomorrow to scold Pete for his childish pranks, and— the tapping continues, but not from the window.

  
He gulps as he heads into the bathroom. He’s sure he’s dreaming as he hears the tapping getting louder and louder as he moves closer to his bathroom mirror. Suddenly his reflection starts to change, his mirrored image smears like grey paint and suddenly he sees two dots of blue.

  
He wakes up in a cold sweat, shivering yet very hot.

  
Andy really hates nightmares.

  
**December 6th**

  
After the last incident, Andy isn’t so sure it’s a prank. Instead, he calls it a demon who is set out to hurt Andy in some way. But after that doesn’t happen, he calls it a ghost instead, and prays it’ll go away, by December, he thinks it has left him alone.

  
At least, that’s what he thinks.

  
_They always start and end the same. The tapping. The mirror. The monster in the mirror. Andy gets it, and he just wants it to end. He stands in front of the smoky mirror and waits impatiently for it to snap him back into consciousness._

  
“Hey!”

  
Andy’s eyes open quickly, and they meet the two dots of blue, which have formed into eyes. A large mop of brown hair rests atop this man’s face, and his grin is wide, excited, eager.

  
“It’s about time, I’ve been trying to reach you for at least a week now!”

  
Andy opens his mouth and stutters out a response. “More, probably.”

  
The man shrugs, “yeah, sorry if I gave you a fright— you’re not afraid of me, are you?”

  
“Who are you?”

  
“Oh, you are.”

  
“I think I have a reason to be.”

  
“What do you mean?”

  
“I mean, you’ve been haunting me! Do you want me dead or something? Was that fortune cookie from last month true? Is this how I die? A weird, mirror demon?”

  
Andy is cut off with a burst of laughter. “ _Mirror demon_? I’m a ghost, actually. Nothing special about me— and you’re not going to die. I was just lonely. Sorry man.”

  
Oh. Andy looks down at his feet. Pete has always said that he was grumpy when he’s woken up from his sleep. “No, I’m sorry, I’m Andy.”

  
The mirror smiles back. “I know, I’ve been haunting you. I’m Joe.”

  
“Nice to meet you.” Andy smiles back softly.

  
“Yeah.” Joe nods, before adding, “s’nice to meet you too.”

  
It’s quiet for a moment, and Andy glances at the clock on his nightstand. 4:07

  
“Why me?” he asks suddenly.

  
“Why you what?”

  
“Why are you… haunting, me?”

  
“I told you, I’m lonely.” Joe answers, and his smile fades a tad. “I don’t get a lot of people in his house, and I usually scare away the people who live here, but I liked the music you were playing, and your tattoos are really cool, and you seem really cool, even though you're vegan. Like, no offense dude, but I could never be vegan. But good on you, it’s cool.” Joe rambles, looking up at the ceiling like he’s reading off a script there.

  
Andy’s quiet, and Joe assumes that’s because he’s scared. Joe always assumes that.

  
“Hey, please don’t make me leave. You could, if you really wanted to. Poltergeists and whatnot. O-or you could move out, but I really don’t want you to. I just wanted to say hello, it’s been such a long time since I’ve talked to someone. Please.”

  
Andy looks at him with a soft expression. How long is a long time? He can’t imagine being isolated for any more than a day, let alone several lifetimes.

  
“I won’t leave. Or make you leave, for that matter.” He replies carefully. Joe looks at him strangely.

  
“Really?”

  
“Yeah. Just, no more bad stuff, okay?”

  
Joe’s cheeks light up. “Right. Sorry. That’s the easiest way to get people’s attention. No more noises in the stairs. No more stealing records. No more— “

  
“You’ve been stealing my records?”

  
“Can I still see you? Like this, I mean.” Joe asks.

  
Andy yawns and nods, “Yeah, that’s okay, just— can you quit it with the weird mirror thing? Just, knock on the door or something.” Joe is visibly discouraged, but catches the teasing smile on Andy’s face and grins as well.

  
“Yeah, okay. That’s fair. You probably want to go to bed now, huh?”

  
“That’d be nice.” Andy stretches his shoulders back, letting his eyes shut for a few seconds.

  
“Well, alright. Goodnight, Andy. Nice to meet you.”  
Andy smiles and feels himself start to wake up. “Yeah, nice to meet you too.”

  
**December 25th**

  
Pete usually hosts the Christmas get-togethers, but this time Andy offers, and Patrick and Elisa sit on the sofa, watching A Charlie Brown Christmas. Meagan sits next to them, Pete sitting on the floor directly below her; Meagan’s thin fingers carefully graze Pete’s hair.

  
“Hey, Andy. You never told us,” Pete looks back at him. Andy turns his gaze away from the TV and looks at Pete, “Did you ever solve that ghost problem?” The others laugh at the absurdity of the question.

  
Andy shrugs. “Ghosts aren’t that bad.” The TV goes black as a commercial ends. From the black reflection, Andy sees Joe sitting next to him on the other couch. _Yeah, they’re not bad at all._


End file.
